One more: forty-eight hours before the high-risk match between the French football team and Israel at the Stade de France (Seine-Saint-Denis), François Hollande also finally plans, according to our information, to attend at the event. Initially, the former President of the Republic was selected for another “long-planned engagement” this Thursday, November 14 in the evening, confides his entourage.
But faced with the turmoil caused in recent days after the violent anti-Semitic attacks in Amsterdam (Netherlands), the man who became a socialist deputy last July has changed his mind. “The president (François Hollande) is fully aware of the dimension that the match takes in terms of what is at stake. A symbol which embodies the fight against anti-Semitism, and to which he is and will always be committed,” explains his office.
This further swells the ranks of the stadium’s grandstand, while Emmanuel Macron also plans to symbolically mark his support for the Jewish community with his presence, and former president Nicolas Sarkozy as well. Prime Minister Michel Barnier, Bruno Retailleau and government spokesperson Maud Bregeon will also attend.
“In this context of great tension, it is important to be present in support,” says a collaborator of Nicolas Sarkozy. “It’s important not to give in to this fear. If we step back now, we step back on everything else,” continues the Élysée, while Israel has recommended to its nationals not to go to the match on Thursday, for safety.
During the night of last Thursday to Friday, an outbreak of anti-Semitic violence took place in the streets of Amsterdam, targeting Israeli supporters of Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Attacks of rare violence which shocked the world of football and well beyond.
Given the very sensitive context, the gauge of the Stade de France has been largely revised downwards. Only 20,000 supporters will attend this meeting, part of the fifth day of the Nations League. To secure the enclosure and the surrounding area, Bruno Retailleau announced an unprecedented deployment of law enforcement: 4,000 police officers and gendarmes.
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